Apparition Apparitions
by Pandemoniumisbestinlargedoses
Summary: Rose is extrememly troubled by something in her past, something before her untimely death in that car accident. But what is it? What's causing her this pain? And what will Dimitri do to stop it?
1. What's the matter, Rose?

Demetri brushed away a lock of hair from my eyes.

"Roza," he breathed. My heart swelled in my chest. Roza, my special Russian namesake always did this. The arrhythmia that made everything light. Everything, perfect.

My hands swept across his form. "Dimi," I smiled warmly. My voice was thick with something I didn't normally possess: smoothness.

He moved in. Grasped my hand. Time stood still, but if we weren't careful, this little piece of affection that I fought so hard for would dissipate. I knew him well. Hard to read, but I'd already been close. Last year, when we'd been close to... well, you know. I was ready. Ready to give everything I had left in my soul. I even forgot Lissa for a second, while my lust for Demetri bound us together so well it was almost impossible to notice anything else. I wouldn't have noticed a fire burning down everything around us. And remembering now, Demetri couldn't have either. At this point, I was almost thankful to the man that kidnapped Lissa and came close to killing her. But I had a conscience. And a duty. I snapped back quickly into reality. So quickly in fact, that I was no longer thinking of Demetri. My connection with Lissa was burning through. She was with Christian, and I didn't need the connection to know what she had in mind.

I shook my head to rid myself of the thought. Demetri took my chin with slender fingers and smiled that rare genuine grin that I had missed. He clearly understood, and didn't require a straight answer from me. "Rose. Breathe." I always wore my emotions on my face. I had one hell of a shield: I could take care of myself. "Fine," I sighed. "Time to get back to work. Let's get this over with." I already knew more than most novices, but that didn't stop Demetri from grilling me every chance he got. Our training sessions became less forgiving each time we met.

He thrust a silver stake into my hand, and pointed towards a dummy that stood near the opposite side of the room. "Make it neat. I want you to surprise him. This'll count against the Strigoi."

I was small enough to advance quietly. On the step that would have brought me face to face with a real Strigoi, my head began to throb harshly, and I dropped the stake. The lights dimmed without meaning to, and Dimitri's voice seemed too far away for the size of the room. My knees hit the mat first, and after that, well... I don't remember. I just don't remember.

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	2. Tempting Fate

WOW! Two chapters in a single night! I just love writing. Read and REVIEW! THANKS!

"Rose! Rose!" Lissa screeched through the bond, her voice much quieter in reality. She shook me, and my eyes fluttered. My head lifted, and a mumbled apology escaped my lips.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm really sorry. What the hell just happened?" I demanded of Demetri. He was wide-eyed and shaking himself, as if me passing out was the worst thing that ever happened. And maybe it was. My heart beat a little harder at the thought. Regardless, he was careful lifting me into his arms as I protested outwardly, insisting that I could walk, and that I was feeling fine.

"Rose. Stop being childish. It's only a few more yards."

I pouted. Lissa was right there by our sides, daydreaming of Christian. I cleared my throat so loudly that it stopped her immediately, as she blushed a deep crimson and smiled deviously_. Oh, **how **vulgar could you be, Liss? Keep those things to yourself_. Unfortunately, my side of the psychic bond never worked as clearly as hers did: it was a drawback to being a dhampir. Demetri didn't notice however, and kept on. His face was a stone now, smooth and unreadable, void of any imperfections.

"You're heavier than you look," he teased when we reached administration.

"Are you sure you're just not growing weaker, seeing as now all you do is watch me run laps around you?" I grinned.

"Hardy har har." He pondered that for a second. Stopped himself before completing his thought, and turned to greet the nurse on staff.

"Rose Hathaway! What did you do now?" her eyes grew wide, and her frown covered the entire bottom of her face. The crow's feet that surrounded her eyes aged her twenty years or so whenever she scowled. She threw her greying hair back into a messy bun, and called me into her office.

"So what is it now, Rose? Did you scrape a knee, break your arm, what?" Obviously, I've been here before.

"She passed out. Cold, on the training mat." Stated Demitri in such a harsh tone that it took the nurse awhile to recover from the viciousness.

"And how did she recover?" the nurse questioned.

"Vasillia shook her."

The nurse tsked tsked condescendingly, and turned to her clipboard. I threw imaginary daggers at the back of her head. Lissa coughed laughter, and Dimitri smiled, his eyes still adjusted to me.

"I'm fine, right? I can go? I mean, people pass out all the time. Recover from it pretty well."

Dimitri's eyes tightened. "No. This was more than just 'passing out', Rose. You hit your head well enough to cause a concussion. Check her out, please." he asked the nurse.

She nodded, still writing on a form. "We'll admit you to the infirmary overnight, just for surveillance."

I groaned loudly. "Lissa, come on. I'm fine, right?"

She shook her head. "You were out for at least 5 minutes. Dimitri called me to come to you, you were calling for me or something."

"That's impossible, I was unconscious. How could I call you if I was unconscious?"

"You weren't totally out, at least when I got there. You were whispering some weird language, something I've never heard." Lissa claimed.

"It's just for the night, Rose. I'll come and see you tomorrow," promised Demitri.

"Goddamit, NO! I'm fine. I can't waste any time. What if something happens to Lissa?" I offered, my last chance at escaping.

"I'll be with Christian. Get some sleep, I'll see you tomorrow," Lissa cooed. She touched my forehead.

"God, Rose. You're burning up."

"This should help her sleep," the nurse whispered. I felt a prick in my arm. The warm rush of a foreign liquid sleeping pill working its way through my veins.

My eyes closed, dreams of Dimitri dancing through my brain.

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	3. Secrets

When I awoke, in satin sheets in my own bed, sunlight streaming through the stained glass window in my dorm, a sigh of comfort escaped my lips. I stretched, my arms reaching the posts. I slowly rose, my head spinning with the remnants of the nurses' serum.

I wasn't quite sure whether the man in front of me was a mirage; a hidden god in an army of roaches.

Adrian. He was gorgeous in his own right, but I have to say that my hatred overrode any form of compassion I held.

He wasn't Dimitri. That was simple enough to understand.

"What the fuck do you want, Adrian?"

"Wow, Rose. No, 'hello Adrian. Nice to see you?'"

"Fuck that. What do you want?"

His smile never left his face. Sick bastard.

Silently, he crept to my bedside. I crouched, naturally.

He leaned forward; lips a centimeter from mine. Then, a knock. My savior.

"ROZA? Are you awake yet?"

"Dimitri! Hurry!"

As he rushed in, he caught Adrian a mere inch away.

Swiftly, grabbed him by the throat and forced him against the wall.

Adrian barely flinched. "Well, well, well, guardian. Rose? HAH. I thought you would've at least picked someone with _morals_."

He spit the last word, like poison. Arsenic that drenched his lips.

"Last I heard, Adrian, _you_ are the last one to talk about _morals_." Dimitri. My hero.

I guess the hurt look on my face was apparent. Dimitri added thinly, "Get the fuck out of here."

Adrian huffed. Straightened his clothes with an air of superiority and marched out of my room.

"Is it so wrong that I'd love to throttle that kid?" Dimitri inquired, his lips turning up at the edges.

"No," I sighed. Smiling too, looked up into his eyes and said "Now where's my good morning?"

His lips brushed against my forehead. "Later, training."

Ah. The training. "But, I just... you know. Is it so right for me to be out there?"

"Rose. I've never seen you like this." His frown line deepened.

The secret beneath my skin bubbled. Blisters just under the surface.

"It's just...I'm tired. I want a little time to get back to my 100%, it's only fair to you. Guardian."

Dimitri shifted on the bed. "Fine. 24 hours. I expect you back out there, Hathaway. Bright and early tomorrow morning."

"I look forward to it," I purred.

Dimitri stood up with his back to me, turning just enough to unravel his profile, laughed my favorite laugh.

Closing the door with a quiet click, my secret seared and screamed its way into my conscience.

_Dammit,_ I thought. _Where the fuck did I put those sleeping pills?_


End file.
